Plainridge gets slots parlor nod

THE GROUP PLANNING TO REDEVELOP Plainridge Racecourse in Plainville, Mass., into a slot machine parlor has been given the green light by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, pending the developing group meeting a series of conditions.

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday awarded the state’s sole license to operate a slot machine parlor to a group looking to redevelop Plainridge Racecourse in Plainville.

In a 3-2 vote, commissioners chose the Plainridge group, led by Penn National Gaming, over slot proposals for Leominster and Raynham, according to the Commission’s Twitter feed.

The license award is contingent on Penn National agreeing to a series of conditions at a meeting Friday.

The addition of slot machines to Plainridge has been seen as the worst-case scenario for Twin River Casino in Lincoln and the state of Rhode Island, which collects millions of dollars in annual revenue from gaming there, because of the proximity of Plainville, roughly 18 miles away.

Plainridge has said if awarded a license, it could have slots up and running by the end of this year.

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